[LizzyChick]

Hi
I'm new to this forum and fairly new to chicken-keeping.  We got given some 'fertilised' eggs, only one of them hatched and I wondered if anyone could tell me what he is?!! He's a rooster of some kind although he doesnt crow (is he too young - he's about 23 weeks old?) - I thought he looked a bit like a Rhode island Red... can anyone help?

[Jeanette]

Yes i think he could be a Rhoad Island Red, But i am not sure as i have'nt got any.

[GrannieAnnie]

He does look like a Rhode Island Red, but something doesn't quite look right to me, but I can't put my finger on it.  and he should be crowing at 23 weeks.  Are you sure he's a he?

[Flowerpower136]

Legs look quite manly?

[GrannieAnnie]

Yes, definitely manly legs!! 

But he doesn't look the same as my young Rhodey boys did!

[Aidy]

Wonder if he is confused about his gender, me thinks he thinks he's a girl  
Never seen a crossdressed chook before.

[Spana]

My first thoughts were looking at the comb, stance and legs that it was an Indian/ Cornish game X

[themagicaltoad1]

If it's not crowing, why do you think it's a cockerel?

[D]

My first thought was that it could be a Rhode Island Red although I don't know if the legs are perhaps a bit long?
As for the crowing, I have a Maran that is now about 26 weeks old. We got 'her' when she was 15 weeks old and just recently we noticed she had sickles growing. Then the other day 'she' dominated the silkie-sussex! I suppose really its safe to say 'she' is a he, and he still hasn't crowed yet either! 

[uktitan]

Actually it looks very much like a Columbian Blacktail to me...which is a third generation cross between a Rhode Island Red and a White Sussex Look it up an google and look at some of the pics, See what you think. 

[GrannieAnnie]

You could be right UKTitan, but you don't often get fertile eggs from hybrids, unless someone has crossed a CBT with something else.

But I think he/she has a too chunky leg for a blacktail.  

The way its standing is like Orchardlady says, it does stand a bit like my Indian Game Cockerel, but of course the colouring is all wrong, so could it be a crossbreed Lizzie?

[LizzyChick]

I've googled Columbian blacktail and youre right, he does look like that.  I couldnt find a photo of a Columbian blacktail cockerel so I couldnt be sure.  He's definitely male, he started to crow this morning for the first time!

He could definitely be a crossbreed - he could be anything, the eggs were left over from something or other a local school was doing, maybe they were going to give them to their students to incubate or dissect or something.  A friend got them and passed them our way.  I thought they'd be whatever a battery chicken is maybe? Does anyone know what breed of chicken a battery bird actually is?

[GrannieAnnie]

You won't find much info on Columbian Blacktail Cockerels, because being a hybrid, they will be culled at hatching the same as all the other hybrids. 

The only few cockerels that do get through are the ones like the white amberlink which are feather sexed, but the dark colours are colour sexed at hatch.